by SALT LAKE CITY (June 8, 2012) – Brent Rowser, chief financial officer of retail brands, Cariloha and Del Sol, has been selected by Utah Business Magazine as one of eight CFO of the Year Award winners in the state of Utah. Rowser was recognized for his nearly 15-year contribution in building a worldwide business that’s become a leading manufacturer and marketer of apparel and accessories that change color in the sun (Del Sol), along with clothing, bedding and bath goods made of bamboo (Cariloha).
Rowser has played a critical role in the growth of Pedersen Worldwide, the parent company of Del Sol and Cariloha. During Brent’s tenure as CFO, the company has grown from a single cart in Murray, Utah’s Fashion Place Mall to more than 140 locations throughout 26 countries. His sound fiscal management and strategic risk taking has been vital to the company’s success, says Scott Brady, associate vice president of communications.
“Brent played a key role in helping to grow the company organically, without burdening the company with unmanageable debt or surrendering equity,” Brady says, adding that Rowser is dedicated to building every aspect of the Sandy-based company. “One of Brent’s greatest attributes is his ability to effectively and efficiently lead multiple areas of the business simultaneously.”
Rowser says key to his role at Pedersen is knowing which risks are worth taking. “An organization unwilling to accept risk will stagnate and become stale,” he says. “Opportunity is created by embracing acceptable levels of risk. Some initiatives will fail but only through embracing a controlled level of risk can you create a new brand.”
An awards luncheon is being held on Wednesday, June 20 at Little America’s Grand Ballroom to honor Brent and the other CFO of the Year recipients. These awards recognize CFOs who tirelessly take on the challenging roles of securing a corporation’s future and ensuring their company’s short and long-term success.
See and read more below about Brent Rowser in the June 2012 CFO-of-the-Year article in Utah Business Magazine:
Brent Rowser
CFO, Pedersen Worldwide, LLC (Del Sol and Cariloha)
Brent Rowser has played a critical role in the growth of Pedersen Worldwide, the parent company of Del Sol and Cariloha. During his nearly 15-year tenure as CFO, the company has grown from a single store to more than 140 locations throughout 26 countries. His sound fiscal management and strategic risk taking has been vital to the company’s success, says Scott Brady, associate vice president of communications.
“Brent played a key role in helping to grow the company organically, without burdening the company with unmanageable debt or surrendering equity,” Brady says, adding that Rowser is dedicated to building every aspect of the Sandy-based company. “One of Brent’s greatest attributes is his ability to effectively and efficiently lead multiple areas of the business simultaneously.”
Rowser says key to his role at Pedersen is knowing which risks are worth taking. “An organization unwilling to accept risk will stagnate and become stale,” he says. “Opportunity is created by embracing acceptable levels of risk. Some initiatives will fail but only through embracing a controlled level of risk can you create a new brand.”
A key risk that Rowser took was launching Cariloha, a bamboo-based apparel and accessories products division. “Our first Cariloha store opened in 2008, just prior to the economic downturn,” Rowser says. “As the recession deepened, difficult decisions had to be made. Initial losses were much greater than anticipated. Yet we knew the decision to launch the brand was the right decision and despite the additional investment required, made the decision to continue to invest.”
Though a risk, launching Cariloha was instrumental to Pedersen Worldwide’s success, leading the company to record growth during 2011 and the opening of 26 retail locations. “We introduced more than 70 new product lines and styles. 2011 brought new locations across the U.S. as well as in countries such as Japan, the Dominican Republic and new stores in Jamaica, Barbados, St. Lucia and Mexico,” Rowser says, adding that the company plans to open hundreds of Cariloha stores within the next five years.
Rowser says what he enjoys most about his leadership role at Pedersen is the direct impact he has on the company and the community. “The ability to create something of value that can benefit the lives of hundreds of employees and contribute to the communities in which we do business,” he says. “I have a passion for the energy and excitement of creating something new. Rapidly growing a business requires that you are continually innovating. Creating a successful organization also allows you to give back to the communities.”